The internet was originally developed as a peer-to-peer network among academic and government research centers to facilitate location and sharing of electronic information. This original topology, however, presented difficulties in locating electronic information without first knowing exactly what to search for. This problem has been addressed with File Transfer Protocol (FTP), followed by the emergence of HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or the World Wide Web and Web browser technology, which promote the server-like notion of centralized file management. Thus, internet technology has departed from the original premise of promoting security and reliability through the use of peer-to-peer networks and the avoidance of central servers and central switching nodes.
A number of application-sharing products and services are available; however, they are either Web-server-based or provide only limited peer-to-peer connectivity and, as such, are characterized by a number of disadvantages. For example, a limited peer-to-peer electronic meeting application exists that only allows a single host, the sharing of only a single application or file type at any given time, and only limited one-way collaboration. Further, this application is slow and has high bandwidth requirements. A web-server-based file sharing application also exists, but is characterized by the same drawbacks, that is, the application allows for only a single host, the sharing of only a single application or file type at any given time, and limited one-way collaboration. Similarly, the web-server-based file sharing application has high bandwidth requirements, and is slow. In addition, the web-server-based file sharing application allows non-owner access to documents and compromises security and privacy by granting access to the hard drive and exposing local content directories to Web searching.
As stated previously, many of the advantages of peer-to-peer systems have been underutilized with the advent and popular use of Web technology. For example, in a peer-to-peer system, every document exists as only one version and is located in only one location (i.e., the computer where the document was created). Thus, no one needs to upload files to a central server in the peer-to-peer system, nor access files from that server or synchronize subsequent updates to the file with the version existing at the server. A peer-to-peer system implemented as described below in connection with the present invention is inherently free of risks associated with redundant versions of a file or multiple and conflicting versions. Further, peer-to-peer file access allows for faster throughput and less latency than server-based Web technology.
A need therefore exists for an electronic file collaboration system that employs peer-to-peer connectivity for interactive collaboration that is fast, provides simultaneous multi-file support, and not dependent on a central server. Further, a need exists for an electronic file collaboration system that is secure and that requires neither the publishing of documents in HTML format, nor the rendering of documents by Web browsers. In other words, a need exists for an electronic file collaboration system that allows document owners to retain complete control over an original document and any changes to that document. In addition, a need exists for an electronic file collaboration system that overcomes the high bandwidth requirements associated with existing systems.